Ukrainian president flies luxury gold-plated jetliner

14.02.2012

Source: avianews.com.ua

The photos of the interior of the jetliner of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych have surfaced on the Internet. The photos of the US-made Airbus А-319-115XCJ were published by The Aviation of Ukraine publication.

The jetliner was ordered for Yanukovych's predecessor, Viktor Yushchenko. However, the power in Ukraine changed while the plane was being built.

The А-319-115XCJ is a state-of-the-art fifth-generation aircraft. There is an office on board, a conference room, a kitchen, compartments for delegates, luggage and a rest area, the Aviation of Ukraine said.

The interior of the jetliner is upholstered in beige. The panels, tables and cabinets are made of light lacquered wood. Lamps, the interior of the bedroom area and the bathroom are gold-plated. The faucet and the sink in the bathroom are gold-plated too. The sink is made of pink marble.

"The bedroom area in the plane is upholstered with expensive Jacquard fabric which is very soft to touch. There is a gold-framed mirror hanging above the bed," the publication wrote.

It took specialists three years to build the jetliner. The pilots of the plane were trained in France. The new aircraft cost the Ukrainian budget nearly $90 million. The plane became the basic aircraft of the Ukrainian president.

On October 6, 2011, the jetliner of the Ukrainian president hit the step unit at Borispol Airport, as Yanukovych was visiting Greece. Yanukovych had to board the reserve Il-62.

It was later reported that a Ukrainian state-run aviation enterprise (Ukraina) concluded a contract for technical servicing of Yanukovych's jetliner. The contract was evaluated at 392,135 euros, Newsru.ua website said.

Yanukovych also has a helicopter, which he flies to get from his residence to Kiev in six minutes. This helicopter - AgustaWestland-139 - is more expensive that the copters of Western leaders. The copter reportedly costs $17 million. Yanukovych's six minutes on board the copter cost Ukrainian tax-payers $1,000, the publication said.